Russia's Kalashnikov in intensive care

Legendary AK-47 designer hospitalized after complaining of general weakness

Published: 12/26/2012 at 11:44 PM

(Agence France-Presse) Legendary Russian rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov has been hospitalized in intensive care after complaining of general weakness, his assistant was quoted by news agencies as saying Dec. 25.

The 93-year-old father of the AK-47 has been having heart problems and feeling poorly since March, when he stopped showing up for work, his aide told the RIA Novosti news agency.

“When I visited him at home last week, he told me that nothing seemed to hurt, but that he simply had no strength left,” his assistant, Nikolai Shklyayev, was quoted as saying.